The Big Dry: More than 48 percent of NSW is drought affected. (Facebook/ NSW Government). “ It ’s heartbreaking. Like myself as a farmer, as a farmwoman to see these farm men as broken as they are …

NSW drought : ' I never thought it would be possible to break so many men '. A suspected Russian spy was employed for more than a decade at the US Embassy in Moscow before being fired last year, a senior administration official tells CNN.

In the past three weeks alone, 99 farmers have made requests for emergency feed for their livestock. Others have phoned for assistance with groceries, with many more making the difficult call to say they are on the brink when it comes to their mental health.

Federal government announces drought aid

The federal government will announce a &dollar;190 million drought assistance package to help farmers affected by the biggest dry in the past century.Farmers will receive immediate additional financial support to help them and their communities fight one of the worst droughts of the past century.

NSW drought : ' I never thought it would be possible to break so many men '. When Krystal Haycock’s work phone rings, the voice on the other end of the line is yet another desperate call for help from a fellow NSW farmer.

NSW drought : ' I never thought it would be possible to break so many men '. A suspected Russian spy was employed for more than a decade at the US Embassy in Moscow before being fired last year, a senior administration official tells CNN.

“Another says ‘40 have died in the last four days and they’ve got 100 left. No hay left’.

“Another says ‘he’s got 1000 cows, I’m out of hay in four days and I’m out of money’.”

Ms Haycock knows first-hand the devastating impact the drought is having on farmers. Her family once ran one of Australia’s largest Red Angus breeders before the big dry hit.

Her family’s farm, located in “prime country” in Yeoval, central NSW, once had 600 head of cattle, 300 of that number breeding cows.

However, after a feed order failed to show in April this year her family cut back on buying groceries. Financially, she was left with no choice but take a job with Aussie Farmers last month for income to buy groceries and pay electricity.

“The numbers of farmers have increased dramatically. Since I started my job the majority was average size farms, with approximately 100 cows, with 1000 sheep,” she said.

Rabobank to allow farmers to offset loans

Rabobank has become the latest bank to allow farmers to offset money put away during good times against loans.Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has pressured banks to offer farmers the option to use their farm management deposits as an offset against their loans.

NSW drought : ' I never thought it would be possible to break so many men '. When Krystal Haycock’s work phone rings, the voice on the other end of the line is yet another desperate call for help from a fellow NSW farmer.

NSW drought : ' I never thought it would be possible to break so many men '. A suspected Russian spy was employed for more than a decade at the US Embassy in Moscow before being fired last year, a senior administration official tells CNN.

“Whereas now the last two weeks I’ve taken non-stop phone calls with really large scale places.”

Farmers on the brink

According to NSW government data, more than 48 percent of NSW is drought affected, with more than 36 percent of the state in drought and more than 15 percent in intense drought.

As well as taking feed orders from desperate farmers, she said the number of calls from individuals admitting they’re contemplating suicide or on the brink of a marriage breakdown had spiked.

She claimed Aussie Helpers are now taking calls from farmers who are searching for help after first phoning other self-help phone lines. She said one farmer phoned to say he phoned Lifeline as he felt suicidal “so they came and took his guns”.

“It has caused even more pressure because he rang someone for his mental health but it has punished him,” she said, adding that the farmer said he now has to rely on his neighbour to euthaise any dying livestock.

Woman charged for 'stealing from drought-relief property'

<p>A woman has been charged after being found with suspected stolen goods believed to be from a drought-relief drop-off point.</p>NSW Police said the 35-year-old drove a Ford Falcon into a property on Higgins Road in Yeoval, 70 kilometres south of Dubbo, around 9.15pm on Sunday.

NSW drought : ' I never thought it would be possible to break so many men '. A suspected Russian spy was employed for more than a decade at the US Embassy in Moscow before being fired last year, a senior administration official tells CNN.

NSW drought : ' I never thought it would be possible to break so many men '. A suspected Russian spy was employed for more than a decade at the US Embassy in Moscow before being fired last year, a senior administration official tells CNN.

“It’s heartbreaking. Like myself as a farmer, as a farmwoman to see these farm men as broken as they are… I never thought it would be possible to break so many men.

“They are suicidal they are distant from their wives. It is causing a lot of relationship breakdowns… almost every woman I speak with are on the brink of divorce. They are taking a break and sleeping in separate rooms.”

If this hardship wasn’t enough, Ms Haycock recalled other phone calls from struggling farmers who have run out of water and have resorted to “third world” bathing.

“There’s no water in our houses. No one has water anymore,” she said.

“I just brought in a truck load … out of water for five days before we could order a truck. A lot of our farmers are in the same boat.

“I’ve got one farmer who hasn’t had a shower in eight weeks. She’s putting a bowl of water in open fire and using that to bath in because she has no hot water. She’s gone to third world farming bathing.”

This is not the first time the region has experienced a drought. Though the last time conditions were this bad was in 1982.

NSW declared '100 per cent in drought'

The NSW government says the state is now "100 per cent in drought" as farmers battle through one of the driest winters on record.The entire state of NSW has been declared in drought after a drier-than-expected June and July.

NSW drought : ' I never thought it would be possible to break so many men '. Hot air from Africa is bringing a new heatwave to Europe, which forecasters say could break records as the continent continues to swelter.

“ Thought It Was A Drought ” kicks off the DS2 album where Future speaks on his love for cough syrup, speaks on his drug-dealing come-up & successes, while subtly dropping hints towards his break -up with Ciara.

While Ms Haycock believes the government “have done a wonderful job with the subsidiaries” more needs to be done, particularly when it comes capping to $20,000 loans.

“They’ve allocated a particular amount of money… but in saying that not every farmer is going to apply for it because a lot won’t be eligible. So, I think some will be knocked out with the eligible… other people who own eight farms… they are still only entitled to the one payment.”

She said the farmers she has spoken with “feel like the government thinks they’re a joke”.

“The word among farmers is a conspiracy among farmers…. farmers have had enough.”

Labor wants faster drought aid for farmers .
Labor leader Bill Shorten has called on the government to speed up the rollout of a drought assistance package for farmers.Labor has called on the federal government to deliver its cash support payments to drought-stricken farmers faster.

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